This Friday, July 21st, after almost eight years, Colombian authorities authorized the binational passage for public transport but only through the Atanasio Girardot international bridge, a reactivation that began with the crossing of some 40 Venezuelan transport units.
Luz Dary Depablos // Correspondent lapatilla.com
Freddy Solano, Representative of Transport associations on the Táchira border, reported that the passage of the units of four Venezuelan lines began at 6:30 am, with passengers moving from San Cristóbal to the Cúcuta bus terminal as part of the reactivation of the Tonchalá Treaty international agreement.
He explained that these units comply with all the requirements of the Colombian authorities.
“They comply with the “ABC” to enter the metropolitan area of the capital of Norte de Santander (Colombia)”.
Users will be able to travel on the buses of “Expresos Bolivarianos” at a cost of 20,000 Colombian pesos or 5 dollars per person.
Likewise, the taxi lines that are authorized for the border crossing will charge between 30,000 and 35,000 pesos.
Solano clarified that passengers can only get off directly at the Cúcuta terminal, that is, there will be no intermediate stops on the road to the capital of Norte de Santander (Colombia).
He indicated that another 10 Venezuelan lines are part of the international agreement, as well as lines from the brother country. All must carry out the necessary procedures in order to be able to cross the border as historically happened for decades through the international bridges that unite Colombia and Venezuela.
It should be noted that in the morning hours, Venezuelan taxi drivers protested near the Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander international bridges, in the towns of San Antonio and Ureña, to demand that the authorities of both countries not allow Colombian taxis to enter Venezuelan territory “until equal conditions are met,” as stated by Gustavo Parada, a border taxi driver.
Therefore, the new ambassador of Colombia in Venezuela, Milton Rengifo, during his visit to San Antonio del Táchira for the 1st Colombian-Venezuelan Binational Forum, expressed that he will review how taxi traffic operates on the border between Colombia and Ecuador, “where these types of problems do not arise”, in order to reach a consensus with taxi drivers on both sides of the border.
On the other hand, Freddy Bernal, Governor of Táchira, said that he will request a review of the Tonchalá Treaty, because it “limits the mobility of Colombians to San Antonio, Ureña and Boca de Grita. I agree, as governor, that Colombians move throughout the state of Táchira, that will allow the promotion of tourism in Tachira.”
The Colombian ambassador noted that: “in Brazil, a larger country, they travel only with the Colombian ID without the need for a passport.”
“That needs studies, it needs analysis, but the proposal is on the table.” That means they could evaluate the possibility of Colombians moving freely through Táchira Stater, without having to stamp their passport.